Help! Need to change Foods!

Discuss ways to improve the quality of your dog's life and longevity through proper nutrition; a place for all of your questions and answers about feeding your pooch!

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Member Since 03/01/2013

Barked: Fri Mar 1, '13 9:26am PST

Hi,
My name is Beth and I'm a newbie here. My two dogs have been developing issues with food since last summer. At the time, I thought that maybe they were eating grass when they picked up their toys outside when playing (we do not use any pesticides or fertilizers) and really thought little of it. However, they were reverse sneezing, itching, vomiting, and shedding, even back then. Then, in September, my husband has to take over their care and feeding a bot more. I had had foot surgery for dropping a 40 lb. rock on my foot, breaking a fusion from an old break and has to be in a cast from Sept. - Nov. Before the cast was off I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Thus, I haven't been as "hands on" as I normally would have been, but my husband noticed the same things- only that they were increasing. Both my dogs, an approximately, 6-year-old Redbone Hound-Lab mix and a 2-year-old, Black Lab/Golden Retriever mix developed even worse cases of "reverse sneezing", long with itching, shedding, and flatulence, lots of flatulence. This was around the first of December, 2012. At the time, they were fed exclusively Blue Wilderness Duck and/or Chicken Dry. I gave them plain yogurt to try to curb the flatulence but it only did so much. We switched to Chicken exclusively but it made no difference. Our vet, a dear friend made a house call in early January, saidthat they were in good health, albeit the Lab/retriever was at the upper end of "normal" weight. He suggested that we try the Weight Control version, because it had a lower fat content, which we did. It curbed the flatulence quite a bit, but the itching, and the reverse sneezing are now worse, for which he suggested benydryl. Now, they are also occasionally vomiting immediately after eating, which could be too much play afterward or a number of things. Yet, the sounds from their stomach are becoming more and more ominous! I would consider a raw food diet or nearly anything, but I am immuno-comprimised and even though I do not touch their food and am very careful with my post-chemo-hygiene, especially around them. No licking me, or anything where they might injest from my skin. This all started long before chemo, anyway.
Can anyone suggest what to do? The reverse sneezing is horrible and getting worse - plus both are equally affected. Another dog food? What about refrigerated foods? I hate to burden my husband with special prepped food for them on top of my sometimes bizarre, chemo-driven tastes.
Thanks in advance for any help that you can offer. BTW, we need to make a dog-food run really soon!
Beth

I concur with trying a grain free, and if I may suggest, try a vennison grain free - go to an unconventional meat protein.

Natural Balance, Nutro, and California Natural all have such recipes, although I think that Natural Balance is sweet potato, Nutro is potato.

Cindy used to be a Pet Nutrition Specialist for Nutro (she doesn't work for them now), and for dogs with sensitivies and allergies, she had a lot of success with the dogs that switched over to either Vennison/Brown Rice or the Vennison Grain free formulas. They are not extravagant. I myself am allergic to lamb, and Cindy put me on a Vennison/Brown Rice formula and bow wow wow it helped me, and it was so yummy my pack sis Ellie started nosing around MY bowl (and she's not allergic to anything...) bol...

Hang in there with everything you must bear right now...it sounds really really hard...we hope you can moments of light and laughter to help strengthen you!

I wish I had an answer for you. Another protein may be worth a try. By the way for those who suggested it Blue Wilderness which is what the OP is/was feeding is grain-free. I know this because I feed it to my dogs and selected it for just that reason.

Are you totally certain this is a food allergy? It seems like it would be rare for two dogs who are genetically not related to each other are both having reactions. Have you ruled out environmental allergens first, which are much more common? There are a lot of things besides grass...detergents, cleaning products, pollen, dust, scented items in the home, etc.

I would lean towards environmental as well, but it wouldn't be totally out of the question if it was food related.
If you think its the food, there are a few things you'll need to do. First, try to find a quality food with as many different ingredients as what they are currently getting. The suggestion of an unusual protein source is excellent. But as many of the ingredients being different as possible will help greatly. If they still have a reaction, compare labels again, find the common ingredients, then get something without those. If it continues still, you will know it's an environmental allergy.